


Small Matters

by AnonWriter714



Series: Inconsistent Shapes [2]
Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self-Aware, Half-Life
Genre: M/M, One Shot, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:54:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24638692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonWriter714/pseuds/AnonWriter714
Summary: Trying to escape Black Mesa, the team stumble onto an impasse. But a little extra help can do the trick, much to Gordon's annoyance.Playing on the idea of Benry having control over his size. He can be big, but what if he small.
Series: Inconsistent Shapes [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1785406
Comments: 6
Kudos: 166





	Small Matters

Hours on top hours, one senseless twists and turns after another, one would think Black Mesa is a prison more than of a research facility. Come to think of it, that definition wasn't a far off stretch since almost no one knows how to get to the surface. 

Following signs were useless too, the routes either barricaded from a cave in or locked behind a door for inexplicable reasons. As luck will have it, that was the current predicament.

The Science Team stares in both bewilderment and awe at the locked security door that's been subjected to countless bashing and picking of anyway imaginable. Bubby even tried shooting it, and yet... Standard issue Black Mesa security locks were no joke.

"Are you sure we're stuck?" Gordon asks in denial. Never had the team encounter such a stubborn road block. "There must be vents, or a power switch - anything!" The team doesn't offer an answer as they already checked, twice. There was no obvious alternative.

Tommy stares up at the ceiling, likely counting the holes in the foam tiles. Coomer throws a powerful swing at the bullet-proof plexiglass. The glass responds with a soft 'bum' as it harmlessly deflects the blow, a valuate effort. Gordon doesn't even bother asking Benry for help, whether his security credentials were valid or not, he wouldn't do it anyway.

"Gordon, for 2 'Play Coins,' I can activate the skip feature." The scientist offers a cheery smile before delivering another punch, yielding the same result.

"I don't have any 'Play Coins.'" Gordon is inches from pulling out his hair. He leans against the nearest wall, sliding to the bottom and join Tommy in starring at the ceiling. Coomer's rhythmic drumming continues as the sole source of sound.

This is how it ends, not by soldiers, or aliens, or the Resonance Cascade, but a stupid, dinky, power lock. He presses his head into his arms. There had to be another way, something that permitted them through, a sign.

"There's a package slot in the wall." Hope. Gordon perks up. Coomer has halted his assault and peers through the glass where Bubby's finger is pressed. "Do you think any of us can fit through that?"

Gordon scurries with the whole team to gathers around the confined pane, rubbing shoulders with shoulders to get a look.

"hey, you're hogging the view." A sharp elbow kicks the air out of his lung, topped off by a body slam. Benry conquers Gordon's spot, standing on his toes to look over the other members' heads.

"Dude, you could've at least given me a second to move!"

Benry shows no remorse, instead flashing him a dastardly smile before turning his gaze on the mail slot.

"i can fit that." He answers flatly, barely above everyone's head. Gordon picks himself up to judge for himself, but he already doubts his answer.

"No, I don't think you can." Bubby shakes his head. The slot is little more than a foot wide and maybe 5 inches tall. The guard and uniform can never fit through it. "Our best bet would be Tommy."

"I-I don't know, that doesn't look safe." Of all times Tommy pushes safety regulation, it has to be now. Gordon lays a hand on the middle-age man's shoulder, roughly shaking him to stress the situation.

"Please Tommy, you need to!" His heart rate picks up, afraid their only chance of escape will turn to the OSHA guidelines. "You're our only hope in this."

"If you succeed, you acquire the hidden beyblade acheivement." Gordon gives Coomer a questionable look unsure if that is true and how he would even know that.

"Are the bit beasts included?" Maybe he should just say 'yes' and sell him on the idea.

"What the hell even is a 'beyblade?'" In an instant, Bubby's simple question unleashes Pandora's box.

"From Wikipedia, a Beyblade is a line of-"

"'Beyblade: Metal Fusion' season one-"

"Inspired by "Beigoma", a traditional spinning top."

"Let it rip!"

Bubby sits unfazed by the onslaught of information, the man was a computer, a trait that didn't apply to Gordon in the slightest. He needs to reset himself, backing himself into the wall, that accursed door on his right. He recites breathing exercises, inhale... exhale. Ignore the ramblings, ignore the door, ignore the knocking. Hold on.

More rapid tapping on glass.

He breaks from his short meditation and races over to the pane. Someone was on the other side.

If he thought is brain was going to short circuit before, it certainly was now.

Benry stood on the other side of the pane and, after getting the team's attention, crosses his arms with a smirk, proving that he could fit. But that was because he was so small. Not in the way of the guard's normally short stature. No, he was 'small,' standing less than a foot tall and on the desk to even look out at them. Everyone silently stares to take in the sight.

"Well, I guess I was wrong." Bubby quips, quickly accepting the fact their friend is now a tenth his usual size.

"Aw, Benry looks cute when he's small," Tommy adds delighted.

"Benry, you mind getting the door? It appears locked on our end." Dr.Coomer kindly points out the devious door.

Getting over his shock, Gordon shakes himself back to his senses. Benry is the size of a toy soldier, that is fine. Completely fine.

"Can you, do something useful." Maybe he should not have said that. The tiny guard snaps at Gordon's comment.

"i was, but you're being kind of mean, bro. so, uh- maybe not." Despite his size, the voice remains unchanged which gravely disappoints Gordon. He would have love to hear a squeaky voice to match the nuisance. Benry overturns an empty office mug, making himself a perfectly sized seat to sit on. "why you all staring?"

"You're right Tommy, he is kind of cute in this miniature state. You can stuff him in a pocket on the go."

"free uber. sweet."

While Bubby and rest of the team continue to faun over small Benry, Gordon is fuming.

"Hey, you prick. Get the door."

"nope." Benry shoots him another dirty grin. "maybe if you show your passport. this is passport inspection." He proceeds to point to a sign that shows the fire escape routes. Gordon forces himself to the front, leering down against the glass to be at eye level with him.

"You're lucky you're in there, and I'm out here. Else I'd crush you with my bare hands." The guard retaliates by sticking his tiny tongue at him from the safety of his plexiglass shield. Gordon can only scream in frustration. As if to mimic, or mock him, Benry sings out some Sweet Voice which appears as color beads fit for a children's bracelet. They also adopt a popping behavior rather the usual fading.

"Gordon, perhaps you should ask politely." Coomer gently tries prying the enraged physicist from the glass, but he is glued like a hungry cat eyeing a mouse.

"You threaten him too, you might want to add an apology will at it." Bubby's advice only adds to the fire.

"That is the last thing I want to do!" Behind the glass, Benry crackles into laughter. God he wishes Tommy wasn't right about the cuteness factor. He hates Benry with every fiber of his being, but watching his tiny frame quake from laughter on top a coffee mug, a part of him has to give. He's a fucking gnome.

"Bu-but you have to mister Freeman, or we will be stuck in here forever."

"Gentlemen, we'll have to go back." Gordon's eyes snap open at Coomer's defaulted suggestion.

"No! We are not doing that." He lets out a defeated sign, realizing there is no alternative. He rests his head on the glass. Benry has abandon his seat and is currently stabbing an eraser with a thumbtack.

"Benry." He bites down on his tongue. The small guard looks up from his work. "...I."

It shouldn't be this hard. It's two words and he's a grown man. He swallows down his anger, just enough to get the words out. "I- I'm sorry. I was really mad and... can you just get the door..." The guard continues to wait, at the same time trying to wedge the eraser under a stapler.

"cringe-man can't say the magic word. sucks bro."

"Gordon do you need a tutorial about manners? It's disappointing that you skipped this lesson in earlier iterations." Gordon can't do this, he can't juggle his mentality between Coomer and Benry. This is just is life now.

"No. Thank you Dr.Coomer." He clenches and unclenches his fist. Watching Benry wrangle with a common office stapler helps to offset his rising blood pressure and get his lips to move. "Can you- _please?_ " The 'please' part comes out broken and strained from both rage and ever so slight snickering. The guard dramatically throws the instrument overhead and onto the floor with a loud victorious clatter. After dispelling the evil, he refocus back to Gordon.

"huh?" Oh god no. He is not saying it again. Benry approaches the glass as close as he can. A soft smooch emits from the other side with a tiny smudge from equally tiny lips left as evidence.

Gordon can hear the group of scientist behind him wooing over the 'couple.' He doesn't address it, his face flushing red from anger which the group would definitely mistake in their favor.

"Can you stop? I'm like a giant compared to you."

"yeah, giant cringe." Gordon groans, they're getting off track.

"The **door**. _ **Please**_." Again his throat threatens to close on itself at saying those words to this tiny goblin.

"geez bro, all you had to do was ask." Benry shrugs and moves out of sight towards the locked door. The door makes a define click as it's unlatched from within. The guard soon emerges from behind it standing at his normal size. "sup."

If he didn't have witnesses, Gordon would suspect the HEV suit injecting him with more than just morphine. "oh yeah." Benry reaches into his pocket and holds out a blue plastic toy. "Tommy, here's that beyblade."


End file.
